Appliance cover



July 18, 1961 COLLARD 2,992,668

APPLIANCE COVER Filed Jan. 5, 1960 INVENTOR. /7,4/?) (641420 ATTORNEYS United States Patent ()fice 2,992,668 APPLIANCE COVER Mary Collard, 2640 98rd St., Jackson Heights, N .Y.

Filed Jan. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 641 2 Claims. (Cl. 150-52) This invention relates to appliance covers and while not limited thereto has particular reference to a cover for closing the inner side of air conditioning units to prevent cold air passing through the units during winter months when the units are not in use.

Air conditioning units of the portable type are enerally secured in position at a window and sealed be tween the same and the window and window frame to prevent air entering about the unit. This type of unit is open at the front and rear and during the winter months when :the units are not in operation provision must be made for covering the inlet or outlet sides thereof to prevent cold air entering through the unit. The present invention, therefore, provides an improved cover which may be readily affixed to cover and seal off the inner open side of an air conditioning unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ap pliance cover of said character having a main wall and narrow side and end walls which telescopically fits over the inner end of an air conditioning unit in covering relation with the open inner side thereof and which is constructed and arranged to tightly engage about the unit to effectively seal the same against the flow of air through the unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cover of said character which is fashioned from plies of thermoplastic material that are heat sealed to secure the plies together to thereby form the main wall and side and end walls and with tunnels extending along said side and end walls for receiving stiffening means adapted to snugly engage against the walls of the unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide an appliance cover with resilient corner portions at the juncture of the side and end walls which resiliently tighten the cover on the unit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG.1 is a perspective veiw of an air conditioning unit shown in position at a window with a cover constructed in accordance with the invention in applied position thereon.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the plies of material cut to form for producing the cover and showing the same before heat scaling to connect the plies together and form the completed cover.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cover.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view partly broken away taken approximately on line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the appliance cover is shown in applied position on an air conditioning unit A disposed at a window W and projecting into a room. The cover includes a main wall and side and end walls 11 and 12. The cover is adapted to snugly fit over the open inner side of the air conditioning unit to prevent cold air entering the room through the unit during off season when the unit is not in use.

The cover is fashioned of two coextensive plies B and C of thermoplastic material which are cut to the required form to provide said walls with the plies of the side and end walls being integrally connected with the plies of the main wall respectively. The plies are heat sealed along the side and end edges '13 and 14 of the main wall 10 to 2,992,668 Patented July 18, 1961 thereby secure the plies together peripherally of said m-ain wall. The plies are also heat sealed along the outer edges 15 of the side walls 11 and along the end edges 16 thereof whereby the plies are secured together peripherally about said side walls. The plies are also heat sealed along the outer edges 17 of the end walls 12 and along the end edges 18 thereof to thereby secure the plies together peripherally about said end walls.

The ends 16 and 18 of the side and end walls 11 and 12 are heat sealed to secure said side and end walls together in continuous formation in substantially right angular relation to the main wall 10. The side and end walls 1 1 and 12 are formed with outwardly extending tongues 20 at the junctures thereof which extend partly in the planes of said walls for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

The said side and end walls are provided with tunnels 21 and 22 respectively which extend longitudinally in ad jacent relation to the outer edges thereof. The tunnels 221 are preferably formed by heat sealing the plies of the side wall 11 along the lines 24 in parallel spaced relation to the outer edge 15 thereof the full length of said side walls. The tunnels 22 are preferably formed by heat sealing the plies of the end walls 12 along the lines 25 in parallel spaced relation to the outer edge 17 thereof the full length of said end walls. Slits 26 and 27 in the inner ply C open into the tunnels 21 and 22 respectively adjacent the tongues 20 and stiffening strips 28 are insertable into said tongues through said slits. The stiffening strips 28 function to maintain the planar formation of the side and end walls so as to snugly engage the side and end walls of the air conditioning unit throughout the length of said strips. The inherent elasticity of the plies B and C of the cover permit of the stretching thereof in applying the cover on the air conditioning unit whereby the side and end walls are tens-ioned against the side and end walls of the unit. The stretching of the side and end walls deflects the tongues 20 into tight engagement against the air conditioning unit at the juncture of the side and end walls thereof. The tongues also resist tearing of the cover with the stretching of the side and end walls in applying the cover to the unit. This arrangement effectively seals the cover continuously along the side and end walls of the unit so as to prevent the ingress of air through the open inner side thereof when in applied condition thereon.

While the preferred form of the invention is shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited but shall cover and include any and all modifications which fall within the purview of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A protective cover for closing an open end of an appliance unit of rectangular formation in section, said cover comprising a rectangular main wall and narrow side and end walls fashioned of two plies of thermoplastic material, said plies being secured together continuously about the periphery of said main wall and continuously about the periphery of said narrow side and end walls, said side and end walls being secured together at the adjacent ends thereof to connect said side and end Walls in continuous formation, the plies of said side and end Walls being secured together in parallel spaced relation with the outer edges thereof to thereby provide tunnels extending longitudinally of said side and end walls respectively, said inner ply having slits opening into said tunnels respectively, stiffening members disposed in said tunnels respectively and terminating short of the ends of said side and end walls, and said side and end walls being inherently stretchable for snug engagement on the open end of said unit with said side and end walls snugly engaging the side and end walls of the unit.

2. A protective cover for closing an open end of an ap pliance unit of rectangular formation in section,fsaid cover comprising a rectangular main wall and narrow side and end walls fashioned of two plies of thermoplastic material, said plies being secured together continuously about the periphery of said main wall and continuously about the periphery of said narrow side and end walls, said side and end walls being secured together at the adjacent ends thereof to connect said side and end walls in continuous formation, the plies of said side and end walls being secured together in parallel spaced relation with the outer edges thereof to thereby provide tunnels extending longitudinally of said side and end walls respectively, said inner ply having slits opening into said tunnels respectively, stiffening members disposed in said tunnels respectively and terminating short of the ends of said side and end walls, said side and end walls being inherently stretchable for snug engagement on the open end of said unit with said side and end walls snugly engaging the side and end walls of the unit, and said side and end walls having a tongue extending outwardly therefrom at the juncture of each side and end wall, each ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS Port Mar. 17, 1914 May Jan. 28, 1958 

